The most important thing we can do to save more historic places and bring Oregon’s historic downtowns back to life is to PASS THE REVITALIZE MAIN STREET ACT Many of Oregon’s traditional downtowns are at a tipping point, half-empty, with their historic facades in urgent need of repair and restoration. Thankfully, there is a small army […]
WANTED: Site and Purpose for Oregon’s Oldest Log House
The Molalla Log House, possibly the state’s oldest structure, reveals secrets that may rewrite the first chapter of Oregon’s pioneer history. Researchers think Russians were first to build in Oregon. MOLALLA, OREGON – The historic Fox Granary in rural Clackamas County was no secret to local history buffs— the county declared the expertly crafted log […]
Appellate Court Decision Weakens Protections for Oregon Landmarks
In a precedent-setting decision, the Oregon Court of Appeals this morning issued a legal opinion that will pave the way for the demolition of a yet-to-be-known number of local landmarks across Oregon. The case, Lake Oswego Preservation Society v. City of Lake Oswego, challenged a Lake Oswego City Council interpretation of a provision of the […]
Restore Oregon to Write Checks for Endangered Places
Restore Oregon is pleased to announce that $15,000 in grant funding has been made available to support efforts to save the 2015 list of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places. The Endangered Places Preservation Grant program will provide funding to support feasibility studies, preservation plans, National Register nominations, and other projects critically important for preserving some of the […]
Historic Dayton Church Turned Restaurant is an Adaptive Reuse Success Story
A charming piece of Dayton history is new again; repurposed as a favorite community gathering place… In 1885, 12 members of the Village of Dayton and the Baptist Church of McMinnville voted to join together to create their own Dayton First Baptist Church. In April of the following year the church’s building committee reported to […]
Restore Oregon to Endorse Proposed Demolition Code Revisions
After six months of negotiations between preservationists, builders, neighborhood leaders, and City staff, Restore Oregon is set to endorse a compromise proposal that would greatly strengthen the City of Portland’s demolition code. As Portland’s real estate market has boomeranged out of the recession, established neighborhoods have witnessed sharp increases in the number older houses being […]
Portland City Council Denies Application to Demolish Historic Building
At their December 18th meeting, the Portland City Council voted to deny a controversial application to demolish the Buck-Prager Building, a 1918 contributing building in the Alphabet National Historic District. The proposal sought to replace the existing three-story unreinforced masonry building with a half-block six-story apartment complex, the design of which had yet to be […]
Madras’ Historic Courthouse and Jail Granted Reprieve
Declared surplus property by Jefferson County and facing the wrecking ball late last year, Madras’ historic Old Courthouse and adjacent county jail building were granted a last-minute reprieve when local resident Steve Jansen stepped in to save them. County commissioners, citing engineering reports suggesting the courthouse was unsafe and impractical to repair, made the property available for purchase, with demolition and redevelopment […]
Illuminating 120 Years of Portland History
For ten nights this December, the history of Portland’s Old Town will be illuminated in the windows of the long-vacant 1881 Mariner’s Building. Illumination #1, a site-specific animated work by educator and animator Rose Bond, will use the windows of the historic building as screens for still and moving images that evoke specific gestures, story […]
Recommendations to Address Demolition Epidemic Now Headed to Council
Three months after being tasked by the Portland City Council to propose modifications to the City’s demolition code, the Development Review Advisory Committee (DRAC) on Thursday endorsed a slate of recommendations that would affect how demolitions are conducted in Portland’s neighborhoods. The package of proposed code revisions—ranging from notification processes to defining ‘demolition’—is scheduled to go before the […]